User:Arsonal/Vanship

A vanship (ヴァンシップ) is a fictional type of aircraft used in the Japanese animated television series Last Exile.

Courier vanship
Vanships in general prior to the events of Last Exile were couriers, traveling long distances to deliver cargoes (usually messages). Some Vanships thus include tools for towing solid objects. Any Vanship intended to dock with a capital ship has a set of cables to act as anchors. All couriers receive their jobs from their local "Vanship union", which assigns each a difficulty rating: one or two stars for most jobs, three for transport into a battle zone, etc. The transport of Alvis Hamiliton to the Silvana was set at seven stars due to the inevitable interference of the Guild, and the peace message intended for Disith had an unprecedented ten star rating, because it was considered impossible—it required a courier to cross the Grand Stream for the first time in Anatoray's history.

When not earning their keep as couriers, Vanship pilots often keep their skills sharp by racing. Many of these are rallies, taking place in towns, underground waterways and canyons. Racing Vanships are small and narrow with a single, high-powered thruster. Like any Vanship intended to achieve high speeds, they have stub wings, far too small themselves to provide lift. They simply act as mounts for ailerons to provide better steering, as pivoting the thruster would put undue stress on the assembly at high speeds. Racing Vanships are permitted to utilize "boosters" (akin to Nitrous in a race car).

Fighter vanship
Over the course of Last Exile, Vanships are adapted for combat. The process resembles the evolving roles that aircraft held during WW1; originally developed for scouting and surveillance, but eventually equipped with bombs and machine guns to become potent fightercraft.

The Vanship fighters of Anatoray have overpowered dual thrusters for acceleration and maneuvering. They are the only Vanships equipped with onboard weapons: a pair of 600 rpm machine guns with 200-round ammunition boxes, underside racks for carrying bombs, drop-pods, and external tanks to compensate for the lower fuel efficiency of the overpowered thrusters.

Transport vanship
Passenger or cargo Vanships are the largest that can be built by any save the Guild, and are approximately the size of a bus. As these are intended for efficiency instead of speed they have multiple thrusters and no ailerons, as sufficient control is achieved merely by pivoting their thrusters. The Silvana's transport Vanships have thrusters that fold onto the side for easier stowage.

Technology
The vanship is often referred to as a "flying boat" in that it does not fly by means of aerodynamics like planes do, but rather by floating on the air and propelling itself through the use of a substance known as Claudia. Claudia is a fluorescent blue ore mined on the floating world of Prester. It is processed into liquid Claudia fuel by dissolving small amounts of it in water – the more that is dissolved, the more potent the fuel. When this fuel is "burned" in a properly designed steam engine, it generates thrust, making it a steampunk reactionless drive.

Claus and Lavie's Vanship is different from all the others in the series; light and fast with exceptional acceleration like a racer, but also equipped with a unique hardened, ribbed hull. At the beginning of the series, Claus and Lavie lack the funds to fit their Vanship with a true racing engine. Instead, they have lightened it by drilling holes in its frame. This grants them an increased amount of speed and maneuverability. Lavie later acquires a booster for their Vanship as part of their preparation for the Norkia Cup.

Their ship's initial purpose however, makes it truly unique. It was specifically designed by their parents for what many would consider a fool's errand – an attempt to withstand the torrential winds of the Grand Stream and travel from Anatoray to Disith. Even though Disith makes the crossing regularly in huge capital ships, it is not uncommon for them to be destroyed in the attempt despite their size and power. Most believe that crossing the Stream (from Anatoray to Disith) in a Vanship to be impossible - but Claus and Lavie achieve this in the final episode, making their Vanship the only one to do so.

Design
thumb|250px|The vanship's design is based on the [[Junkers A 35 monoplane created by Germany in the 1920s. ]] All vanships in the series were rendered as 3D images, a hallmark of Japanese animation studio Gonzo, makers of such series as Vandread and Blue Submarine No. 6.